Bustle

Unknown

1880s · [no medium available] · Costume Institute

The bustle, by extending the body, became a point of demarcation for the back of the waist. By enlarging the derriere visually, the bustle became a foil for the constricted waist in profile. Bustles were silk-floss, cotton, or feather down-filled. Small ones could be found sewn into Empire gowns; more prominent ones were used in the 1870s and 1880s and had an ingenious range of configurations and materials, including wire coil, rattan, and horsehair.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1880s

Medium

[no medium available]

Culture

European

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Lee Simonson, 1938